ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. roll — a cake
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. spring — a coil
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. last — finally
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. roll — a list
  15. last — to go on
  16. foot — a measure
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chair — a leader
  23. last — final
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com